Rumi Forum

Combating Prejudice from Inside and Outside Our Communities
2021-04-22 18:00 - 20:15 (America/New_York) | Zoom
This event is a Muslim-Jewish interfaith dialogue for college students and young professionals in the DMV area. The conversation, which will feature guest speakers, will center around combating antisemitism and Islamophobia from the outside while also addressing prejudice and misunderstanding within our own communities. We hope to bring Muslim and Jewish young adults together to learn about one another’s faiths and experiences and to use this knowledge and empathy to become better allies united against hatred. Amidst rising antisemitism and Islamophobia throughout the United States, we need to have these conversations and advance Muslim-Jewish solidarity. Our partners in carrying out this event will be Jewish and Muslim institutions across DMV area college campuses, faith organizations for young professionals, and interfaith institutions.

Speakers
Sabeeha Rehman

Sabeeha Rehman is the author of the 2016 memoir, “Threading My Prayer Rug. One Woman’s Journey from Pakistani Muslim to American Muslim,” Short-Listed for the 2018 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing, the book also received several other nominations and awards. She is also an op-ed contributor to the Wall Street Journal and New York Daily News. In the early 1980s, concerned about raising her sons as Muslims in the absence of a Muslim community, she set to work, and her commitment culminated in the building of a mosque on Staten Island where her family lived.
Sabeeha, who holds a Masters in Healthcare Administration, served as a hospital executive for 25 years. Thereafter, responding to her grandson’s autism diagnosis, she co-founded the NY Chapter of the National Autism Association and served as its President from 2008-11. As a public speaker, she has spent several decades engaging in interfaith dialogue and now serves as a board member of the Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee as well as the NY Chapter of the National Autism Association. She blogs on topics related to American Muslim experience at www.sabeeharehman.com/blog.
She lives in New York City with her husband Khalid, a retired Hematologist/Oncologist.

Walter Ruby

Walter Ruby is a veteran activist in Muslim-Jewish relations. From 2008-2017, in the position of Muslim-Jewish Relations Director at the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, he organized hundreds of twinning events; bringing together thousands of Jews and Muslims in over 30 countries on five continents, including members of mosques and synagogues and Muslim and Jewish organizations. Ruby presently serves as executive director of Jews, Muslims and Allies Acting Together (JAMAAT), a grassroots community of Muslim, Jewish and Interfaith activists in Greater Washington; and as Coordinator of the Washington Area Chapter of Project Rozana, which works to strengthen ties between Israelis and Palestinians through health care.
Ruby is currently co-authoring a book with Muslim-American author Sabeeha Rehman entitled We Refuse To Be Enemies: How Muslims and Jews Can Make Peace, One Friendship at a Time. Ruby has worked as a reporter and commentator for more than 40 years, mainly for American Jewish and Israeli publications. His articles and op-eds have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and other media.
Walter lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Tatayna.

Ramadan Iftar Series 2021
2021-05-13 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Halifax)
Similar to last year, in the very spirit of Ramadan in 2021, Rumi Forum coordinated the virtual iftar series throughout Ramadan. We cordially invited everyone as we matched Muslim and non-Muslim friends, families, students, and professions to build new friendships and break bread together at iftar time.
We had the pleasure of meeting with members and friends of Sikh Foundation of Virginia, Christian Science Church, LDS Church Annandale Stake, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, DC United Hindu Temples, Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Braver Angels Fairfax County Alliance, Congregation Adat Reyim, and many more. Although zoom has not the taste feature yet, this gathering spoke truly about the joy of friendship, solidarity, and neighborhood. Each iftar dinner was one of the living examples of communal harmony and solidarity with new friends. They were exceptional evenings filled with friendship, lively conversation, joy, and spirituality!

2nd Interfaith Leadership Forum: Human Dignity and Solidarity
2021-05-20 19:00 - 21:00 (America/Halifax) | Zoom
About the Event
Fratelli Tutti (All brothers and sisters), subtitled “on Fraternity and Social Friendship” is the third encyclical of Pope Francis. The document was signed on October 3, 2020, during Pope Francis’s visit to the top of his namesake St. Francis of Assisi, and was released on his feast day. It borrows its title from St. Francis’s Admonitions.
Fratelli Tutti is Catholic in terms of its origin, yet universal in terms of its substance. The encyclical addresses a set of contemporary global challenges that threaten global peace and highlights “fraternity” as a remedy to build a just world. As a sign of recognition of its global appeal, the United Nations declared February 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity beginning in 2021.
Fratelli Tutti is the focal point of the 2nd Interfaith Leadership Forum. This conversation will bring together a diverse array of faith leaders and scholars in the DMV area and beyond for an interactive exchange on some of the most pressing issues of our age. As the search for answers on how to emerge better into a post-pandemic society continues, a collective reflection on Fratelli Tutti can renew hopes and illuminate the way forward.
Breakout Session Themes and Co-Chairs
Social and economic justice:

Kim Lamberty – Director of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC), Society of the Sacred Heart
Ann Delorey – Program Director, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington

Racism, ethnocentrism, and white nationalism:

Rev. Beverly Goines – Assistant Pastor, National City Christian Church in Washington
Rev. David Lindsey – Executive Director, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington Immigration

Immigration:

Rev. Sharon Stanley-Rea – Director, Refugee & Immigration Ministries (RIM), Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Elket Rodriquez – Immigration Attorney, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Advocacy

War and conflict resolution:

Amr Abdalla – Professor Emeritus, University of Peace
Ibrahim Anli – Executive Director, Rumi Forum

This virtual program is sponsored by Interfaith Leadership Forum, including

Full Event Video

Scriptural Reasoning: "Clothing and Modesty"
2021-05-27 18:30 - 19:45 (America/Halifax) | Zoom
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) is a practice where Christians, Jews, and Muslims study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet once a month to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures and the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning – Introduction Reading Material: Clothing and Modesty

This Month’s Study Leader

Dr. Nisa Muhammad is Howard University’s Assistant Dean for Religious Life. She is responsible for religious programming, advocates for the religious needs of Muslim students, faculty, and staff, teach nonacademic classes on the Islamic tradition, and works closely as part of the staff in the Office of the Dean of the Chapel to foster interfaith dialogue and cooperation. She organizes Muslim worship and devotion services, counsels and advises students, and answers questions from race to religion to relationships. She is the advisor to the Muslim Students Association, the Juvenile Justice Advocates, and the Chess Club. Dr. Muhammad is the president of the Association of Muslim Chaplains and on the board of the Association for Chaplaincy and Spiritual Life in Higher Education.

We would like to thank Rose Castle Foundation for their permission to use their content.

Book Talk: Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) about Anti-Muslim Discrimination
2021-06-03 18:00 - 19:15 (America/Halifax) | Zoom
Arson and vandalism at houses of worship. Bullying at schools and harassment at the grocery store. Political scapegoating and institutionalized discrimination. Muslims in the United States and beyond have faced Islamophobia in a range of forms. This groundbreaking book argues that Christians though they are not the targets of Islamophobia should be at the forefront of efforts to end the prejudice and discrimination that Muslims face. Writing for Christians of all denominations, Jordan Denari Duffner offers an introduction to Islamophobia, discusses the unfortunate ways that Christians have contributed to it, and offers practical steps for standing in solidarity with Muslims. Viewing Islamophobia as both social justice and a religious freedom issue, Duffner makes the case that the Christian faith calls us to combat religious discrimination even when it is not directed toward our own faith community. She weaves together insights from Catholic social teaching, examples from Protestant leaders, and expertise from Muslim scholars and activists, resulting in a compelling book that will be of interest to academic and lay audiences alike.
Speaker/Author

Jordan Denari Duffner is an author, educator, and scholar of Muslim-Christian relations. Her books are Islamophobia: What Christians Should Know (and Do) about Anti-Muslim Discrimination and Finding Jesus among Muslims: How Loving Islam Makes Me a Better Catholic. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in theology and religious studies at Georgetown University and is an associate of the Bridge Initiative.

Moderator
Susan Douglass received a Ph.D. in world history from George Mason University in 2016 and holds an M.A. in Arab Studies from Georgetown’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. Her research field is education history and policy in teaching about the world and world religions. She works on instructional design, and has published widely on American textbooks and curriculum standards policy, and has authored teaching resources for Unity Productions Foundation films, grant projects for the National Endowment for the Humanities, the British Council, and the National Center for History in the Schools and others. She is currently K-14 Education Outreach Coordinator at CCAS and has conducted teacher workshops for ACMCU since 2007.
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Scriptural Reasoning: "Covenant"
2021-06-17 18:30 - 19:45 (America/Halifax) | Zoom
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) is a practice where Christians, Jews, and Muslims study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet once a month to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures and the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning – Introduction Reading Material: Covenant

This Month’s Study Leader

Rev. Richard L. Tafel is a transformative leader in the areas of faith, politics, and social impact. Tafel is also pastor of Church of the Holy City in Washington DC, where he is launching one of the first spiritual entrepreneur hubs. He represents the Swedenborgian Church of North America on the governing board of the National Council of Churches where he leads the annual Christian Muslim dialogue. Rich is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and served as Assistant Minister at the Memorial Church at Harvard University.
Rich is also the Managing Director of Raffa Social Capital Advisors where he matches impact investors to vetted social ventures. Partnering with investors his team provides back-office support, public policy, and strategic coaching to social ventures. He launched the first state-wide social entrepreneur competition in the USA in Michigan in 2014.
Rich is also the Director of the American Project at Pepperdine School of Public Policy in Malibu CA. This project is sponsored by the Democracy Fund bringing together leading thinkers to imagine new, center-right solutions to America’s broken political system. Tafel has a long history of fighting for civil rights. He has appeared on most major political programs. Before moving to Washington DC, Tafel was Adolescent Health Director for the State of MA.

We would like to thank Rose Castle Foundation for their permission to use their content.

Book Talk: No Power Over God's Bounty
2021-06-24 19:00 - 20:15 (America/Halifax) | Zoom
The Qur’an often addresses Jews and Christians as “People of Scripture” to indicate that they have received revelation from God. Yet, while acknowledging the special relationship and knowledge that this revelation brings, the Qur’an at the same time criticizes the People of Scripture for not remaining true to God’s guidance and claiming special power over God’s gifts. The mixture of acknowledgment and criticism is based on actual encounters with Jews and Christians at the time of the revelation of the Qur’an. This Christian commentary on the 31 texts in which the Qur’an discusses and addresses the People of Scripture includes the Muslim tradition of interpretation of these texts and adds Christian resonances in order to contribute to the future dialogue between Muslims and Christians on the common heritage and the differences between them.
Speaker:
Dr. Pim Valkenberg studied theology and religious studies in the Netherlands, where he was involved in the dialogue between the three Abrahamic religions at the Radboud University of Nijmegen where he worked for twenty years until he came to the United States with his family to work at Loyola University Maryland and, since 2011, the Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. His fields of specialization are comparative theology, interreligious dialogue, and Christian – Muslim relations. Among his publications are World Religions in Dialogue (2014, 2017), Renewing Islam By Service: A Christian View of Fethullah Gülen and the Hizmet Movement (2015), and Nostra Aetate: Celebrating Fifty Years of the Catholic Church’s Dialogue with Jews and Muslims (2016). His latest book is published in 2021 by Peeters in Leuven: No Power over God’s Bounty: A Christian Commentary on the “People of Scripture” in the Qur’ān.

Discussant:
Dr. Zeki Saritoprak is Professor and the Bediüzzaman Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies at John Carroll University. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Theology from the University of Marmara in Turkey. Professor Saritoprak is the author of Islam’s Jesus (University Press of Florida, 2014) and over thirty academic articles and encyclopedia entries on topics in Islam. He has served as guest editor for issues of the journals Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations and the Muslim World. He is editor and co-translator of Fundamentals of Rumi’s Thought: A Mevlevi Sufi Perspective (in English; New Jersey: The Light, 2004) and the editor of a critical edition of al-Sarakhsi’s Sifat Ashrat al-Sa’a (in Arabic; Cairo, 1993). He is currently preparing a book on Islamic spirituality tentatively titled Islamic Spirituality: Theology and Practice for the Modern World.
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Book Talk: Peace in the Age of Chaos
2021-07-29 19:00 - 20:15 (America/Halifax)
Working on an aid program in one of the most violent places in the world, North East Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, philanthropist, and business leader Steve Killelea asked himself, ‘What are the most peaceful nations?’ Unable to find an answer, he created the world’s leading measure of peace, the Global Peace Index, which receives over 16 billion media impressions annually and has become the definitive go-to index for heads of state. Steve Killelea then went on to establish a world-renowned think tank, the Institute for Economics and Peace. Today its work is used by organizations such as the World Bank, United Nations, and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and taught in thousands of university courses around the world.
“Peace in The Age of Chaos” tells of Steve’s personal journey to measure and understand peace. It explores the practical application of his work, which is gathering momentum at a rapid pace. In this time when we are faced with environmental, social, and economic challenges, this book shows us a way forward where Positive Peace, described as creating the optimal environment for human potential to flourish, can lead to a paradigm shift in the ways societies can be managed, making them more resilient and better capable of adapting to their changing environments.
Speaker
Steve Killelea is the Founder and Executive Chairman of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), one of the world’s most impactful think tanks on peace and what creates it. Steve is also the creator of the Global Peace Index, the world’s leading measure of peace that ranks 163 countries and independent territories by their levels of peacefulness each year, and is used by major organizations such as the World Bank, OECD, UN, as well as governments and thousands of universities worldwide. Over the last two decades, Steve has applied his business skills as one of Australia’s leading entrepreneurs to his many global philanthropic activities, including his private family charity, The Charitable Foundation, which now has over three million direct beneficiaries. In recognition of his contribution to the global peace movement, Steve has twice been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded the Luxembourg Peace Prize in 2016. He has also been recognized by the Action on Armed Violence group as one of the 100 most influential people in the world on reducing armed violence.
“Today, Steve serves on the President’s Circle for Club de Madrid, the largest forum of former world leaders working democratic former Presidents and Prime Ministers working to strengthen democracy, and is an honorary president for Religions for Peace, the largest organization in the world working on inter-religious challenges.
Discussant
Chic Dambach is an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins and American Universities, and he is a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow. He was President and CEO (currently President Emeritus) of the National Peace Corps Association; former President of the Alliance for Peacebuilding, and former Chief of Staff for Congressman John Garamendi. Previously, he held executive positions in the arts, sports, and health, and he was an “expert” advisor to the director of the Peace Corps. He serves as Chair of the Mali Affinity Group, and he has served on dozens of nonprofit boards. He lectures regularly at colleges and universities and at conferences, and he was a senior consultant with BoardSource where he helped write two books on nonprofit governance.
“His career began as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Colombia, and his memoir, Exhaust the Limits, the Life and Times of a Global Peacebuilder, features a lifetime of service and successful initiatives for peace in Africa. He was nominated for the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, and the Institute for Economics and Peace presented him with the Leadership and Service for Peace Award in 2016. He was named the “2016 Peace Corps Champion” for keeping the spirit of service alive. His TEDx Talk “Why Not Peace” is available on YouTube. He was a national champion kayak racer and served as an official for canoe and kayak competitions in the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Olympic Games.
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Community Event: "Tabla for Two"-Sufi Music Concert Celebrating Rumi’s Poetry
2021-09-23 19:30 - 21:00 UTC | Zoom
Rumi Forum and FocusMusic are delighted to present “Tabla For Two”: a unique duo consisting of Masood Omari and Abigail Adams Greenway.
Tabla for Two performs traditional and classical music from Afghanistan and India, old Bollywood favorites, as well as Omari’s original compositions, which blend classical Eastern beats with Western-style beats – a fusion of East and West that is mirrored in their own partnership.
This special performance will feature select poems from Rumi, the great 13th-century mystic, poet, and jurist whose message of love, compassion, and mercy continues to inspire millions today. The event will be an opportunity to learn more about Rumi’s legacy and core teachings as we reflect on some of his highlight lines before each song.
If you are interested in having a remarkable experience with Rumi’s radiant message to embrace the East and the West, join us as we host Tabla for Two – an Afghan and an American singing his lines with authentic instruments and an unquestionably unique style!
Abigail Adams Greenway and Masood Omari

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Scriptural Reasoning: "Craft and Construction"
2021-09-29 18:30 - 19:45 UTC | Zoom
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) is a practice where Christians, Jews, and Muslims study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet once a month to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures, as well as the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning – Introduction Reading Material: Craft and Construction

This Month’s Study Leader
Richard J. Jones taught Mission & World Religions at Virginia Theological Seminary from 1988 until 2009. As Al-Alwani Chair of Muslim-Christian Studies in the Washington Theological Consortium, he taught at member theological schools in the Washington, D.C. area.
Born in the District of Columbia in 1943, he taught ESL classes in Vietnam and served as a parish priest in Ecuador, Alabama, and Virginia. He is past president of American Friends of the Episcopal Church of Sudan and officiates Spanish-language services in Northern Virginia Episcopal churches.

We would like to thank Rose Castle Foundation for their permission to use their content.

Community Event: Support "Trudy Conway Memorial Fund" for Afghan Refugees
2021-09-30 08:00 - 2021-11-22 17:00 UTC | Catholic Charities USA, 2050 Ballenger Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22314, United States
In order to honor our former board member`s legacy, Rumi Forum set up a fundraiser, “Trudy Conway Memorial Fund”, to support Catholic Charities USA`s efforts to help our new Afghan neighbors.
With the support of our friends, we raised $1,500.
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Trudy Conway was a much loved and widely accomplished author and professor of philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s University. She also served as a board member on the Rumi Forum.
In order to honor her legacy, Rumi Forum would like to fundraise for a “Trudy Conway Memorial Fund” to support Catholic Charities USA efforts to help our new Afghan neighbors.
Trudy Conway and her family have been an advocate and supporters for Catholic Charities for years. She truly believed in their mission to be on the frontlines; providing vital resources and services to children, families, and individuals; ensuring that they are fed, sheltered, and comforted in their greatest time of need.
We ask that in lieu of flowers, please honor Trudy by supporting this great organization and its support efforts.
Thanks so much for your support… and please don’t forget to send this page to any friends you think might be interested in donating!

Community Event: "Together We Rise Against Hunger" on World Food Day
2021-10-13 18:00 - 2021-10-16 12:00 UTC | Christ Church, 7600 Ox Road, Fairfax Station VA, Fairfax Station, VA, 22039, United States
Rumi Forum and its partners have participated in the largest Rise Against Hunger packing event in the state of Virginia this year. 1,000+ volunteers packed 165,000 life-changing meals. Thank you for helping us reach our 5-year goal of packing 1,000,000 meals!
The meals we packed are shipping to Haiti. In August, Haiti suffered massive devastation from a 7.2 magnitude earthquake followed only three days later by tropical depression Grace, which dumped heavy rains on an already shaken country, creating flooding and mudslides.
More than ever, the people of Haiti need to know that we care about them, we love them, and we want to do what we can to show them compassion. Thanks to members of Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith communities, all generously sharing their time, talent, and treasure, 165,000 meals will nourish Haitians next month.
You can find more information about the event here.
Community Partners

Meal Packing Event

Millionth Meal Celebration Video

Scriptural Reasoning: "Created Human"
2021-10-21 19:00 - 20:15 UTC | Zoom
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) is a practice where Christians, Jews, and Muslims study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet once a month to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures, as well as the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning – Introduction Reading Material: Created Human

This Month’s Study Leader
Safi Kaskas has studied Abrahamic religions and lectured throughout the US and the Middle East on subjects related to Islam, interfaith, and reconciliation between Evangelicals and American Muslims.
He is a Senior Researcher in Islam and Multifaith Reconciliation with George Mason University, Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution.
Mr. Kaskas translated and published the Qur’an into simple easy to understand English in January 2015 and published The Qur’an with references to the Bible in January 2016. This book has 3000 references to the Old and the New Testaments.
The Italian translation to The Qur’an with references to the Bible was completed in April 2016 and was presented to his holiness Pope Francis during the same month.
He just completed compiling the first Hadith book/collection of Prophet Muhammad’s sayings on “The Kindest of Manners”. The book will be published during this year.

We would like to thank Rose Castle Foundation for their permission to use their content.

In-Person Book Talk: "God`s Diplomats"
2021-10-28 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Alex Galleries, 2106 R St., NW, Washington, DC, 20008
Using inside sources and extensive field reporting about the secretive, high-stakes world of international diplomacy, Vatican reporter Victor Gaetan takes readers to the Holy See to explicate Pope Francis‘s diplomacy, show why it works, and offer readers a startling contrast to the dangerous inadequacies of recent U.S. international decisions.
You can find more information about the book here.

About the author
Victor Gaetan, Ph.D., has served as an international correspondent for Catholic News Service and the National Catholic Register. He contributes to Foreign Affairs and America magazine. He has written from Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East—experiences that provided a wealth of contacts with the notoriously tight-lipped papal diplomatic corps. He gathered rare insight in the Vatican Secret Archives, which is not open to the public.
For over 20 years he has filed stories from countries in turmoil: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cuba, Lebanon, Kosovo, Peru, Turkey, and Ukraine as well as from Hong Kong, Korea, and Taiwan. He has received numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association of North America and has written for secular publications ranging from Art & Auction to Le Figaro.
Gaetan received a Ph.D. in Ideology in Literature from Tufts University; a master`s degree from the Fletcher School of International Law and Diplomacy (MALD), and a license in Byzantine and Ottoman Studies from Sorbonne University in Paris (comparable to a BA).
About the discussant
Martine Miller is the Vice President of International Center for Religion & Diplomacy and a mediator and conflict transformation specialist with over 20 years of engaged experience—with communities, governments, regional bodies (i.e. EU, AU, and ASEAN), UN agencies, a range of inter/national non-governmental organizations and academic institutions. Her work has engaged her directly in fluid war to post-war reconstruction and development contexts across 70 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, West to East Europe, and North and South America.

Event Video

Event Photos

Scriptural Reasoning: "Delegating Responsibility"
2021-11-17 19:00 - 20:15 UTC | Zoom
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) is a practice where Christians, Jews, and Muslims study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet once a month to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures, as well as the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning – Introduction Reading Material: Delegating Responsibility

This Month’s Study Leader
Ori Z. Soltes is Professor of the Teaching of Jewish Civilization at Georgetown University. He teaches across a range of disciplines. He is the former Director of the B’nai B’rith Klutznick National Jewish Museum. As co-founding Director of the Holocaust Art Restitution Project, he has spent twenty years focused on the issue of Nazi-plundered art. Soltes has authored and edited 19 books and scores of articles and exhibition catalog essays. Recent volumes include Our Sacred Signs: How Jewish, Christian and Muslim Art Draw from the Same Source; The Ashen Rainbow: Essays on the Arts and the Holocaust; Mysticism in Judaism. Christianity and Islam: Searching for Oneness; Tradition and Transformation: Three Millennia of Jewish Art and Architecture; Magic and Religion in the Greco-Roman World: The Beginnings of Judaism and Christianity; and God and the Goalposts: A Brief History of Sports, Religion, Politics, War, and Art.

We would like to thank Rose Castle Foundation for their permission to use their content.

Panel Discussion: "How to Heal Our Divides"
2021-12-02 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Zoom
Rumi Forum launches 3R Series
Restoration, Reconciliation, Resiliency
COVID came along and dominated our lives almost two years ago at a time when we were already battered by interracial tensions and divisive political rhetoric. The isolation that the pandemic forced us into has affected the psyche of all, and COVID-related economic difficulties made the lives of many rather difficult. In the middle of these historic moments, we had a contentious election that peaked with an attack on the Congress, the symbol of our nation.
It appears that we are in dire need of restoring our trust in our political system, in our government and agencies, in our civil society, and more importantly in each other. Our goal with the 3R Series is to inspire a vision of Restoration through Reconciliation and to remind ourselves of the Resiliency Americans have demonstrated again and again in difficult times throughout our history. We hope this effort will inspire hope, instill an urgency, and drive people to act to bridge the divides in our society so that we can heal and be whole once again.
Event Video

About the book, “How to Heal our Divides”

If we didn’t recognize them already, 2020 put a spotlight on several serious, deep divides that have had strong negative impacts on our society – racial, political, religious, and other divides. Much has been written describing these divides and how they came about or encouraging us to look deeply inside ourselves to discover our own flaws. All good things! But there has been a lack of attention regarding what to do about it. “How to Heal Our Divides” is a project aimed at building awareness of organizations that are taking real action to address these issues. The project is not an attempt to gloss over serious problems or “make happy” but instead to highlight tangible efforts that are solving problems – actually healing divides in effective and practical ways.
Perhaps you are tempted to just write off “the other side” and lambast them for all the terrible things they’ve done. But is that really in the best interest of our country and our culture? Shouldn’t we instead try to listen and learn and actually talk to each other? Are there at least some things we can work on together, even if we don’t agree on everything? (How many people have you met with whom you agree on absolutely everything?) Granted, some will never listen. But some will. We owe it to our children to try to make things better.

Moderator
Allison K. Ralph, Ph.D., is the Associate Director of the Inclusive America Project at the Aspen Institute. Prior to joining the Inclusive America Project as Assistant Director in 2019, she served the Project as consultant and advisor for two years, including as editor of Pluralism in Peril: Challenges to an American Ideal. She began her career in the non-profit sector at the El-Hibri Foundation after earning her doctorate in Church History from The Catholic University of America in 2015. She also holds a B.A. in History from the University of North Florida and an M.Phil. in Church History from the University of Cambridge. At heart, she is still the blue-collar farm girl and custom picture framer she was raised as at the family home and business.
Panelists
Martin Brooks is the President of Peace Catalyst International. He has been with Peace Catalyst International since 2011 when he and his wife Susan returned from Turkish Cyprus. Drawing on the teachings and examples of Jesus, Martin has worked with local churches and mosques to create safe spaces to ask questions and build greater trust between Christians and Muslims. He has organized dialogue events, iftar meals, and Peace Feasts with Palestinians, Syrians, Turks, Pakistanis, Somalis, Kurds, and Iranians. A gifted collaborator, he works with city officials, refugee agencies, local clergy, and interfaith groups to seek the peace of the city and mutual thriving for all.
Jeff Burns, D.Min, is a peace and human rights, activist. He has been active in building bridges of reconciliation, peacemaking, and friendship between Muslims and Christians in the U.S. and overseas for the last ten years. Jeff served as the East Coast Regional Director for Peace Catalyst International for four years. PCI focuses on reconciliation and peacemaking in the way of Jesus. Before his calling as a peacemaker Jeff served as a senior pastor for 18 years. He went on to become a part of the house church movement in the U.S. As a leader in the house church movement; Jeff served as an elder in the Sojourners Simple Church Network in Raleigh, NC for nine years where he started an intentional community that focused on peacemaking with the local Muslim community.
Rev. Richard L. Tafel serves as the minister at the Church of the Holy City. With an undergraduate degree in Philosophy and a graduate degree in Theology from Harvard University, Tafel is ordained and his first job was as Assistant Minister of Harvard University’s Memorial Church. With his knowledge of politics and vision for social change, he launched his first company that helped nonprofits engage in public policy. He worked domestically with College Summit on access for low-income students to college. In addition, he created the global strategy for the AIDS Responsibility Project that helped facilitate the delivery of AIDS drugs to Africa. In addition, they worked with Brazil, Mexico, and Jamaica on ending HIV/AIDS discrimination.

In-Person Book Talk: "People of the Book"
2021-12-09 18:30 - 20:00 UTC | Busboys and Poets – 450K, 450 K St. NW, Washington, DC, 20001, United States
On December 9, 2021, participants joined this in-person book talk for a considered study of Muslim–Christian coexistence and dialogue in the time of Prophet Muhammad.
The Christians that lived around the Arabian Peninsula during Muhammad’s lifetime are shrouded in mystery. Some of the stories of the Prophet’s interactions with them are based on legends and myths, while others are more authentic and plausible. But who exactly were these Christians? Why did Muhammad interact with them as he reportedly did? And what lessons can today’s Christians and Muslims learn from these encounters?

Scholar Craig Considine, one of the most powerful global voices speaking in admiration of the prophet of Islam, provides answers to these questions. Through a careful study of works by historians and theologians, he highlights an idea central to Muhammad’s vision: an inclusive Ummah, or Muslim nation, rooted in citizenship rights, interfaith dialogue, and freedom of conscience, religion, and speech. In this unprecedented sociological analysis of one of history’s most influential human beings, Considine offers groundbreaking insight that could redefine Christian and Muslim relations.
You can find more information about the book here.
About the author
Dr. Craig Considine is an award-winning professor and the best–selling author of The Humanity of Muhammad–A Christian View (2020). He is recognized as an authority in interfaith dialogue, particularly Christian and Muslim relations. Dr. Considine has written seven books for the field of Islamic studies, including People of the Book–Prophet Muhammad’s Encounter with Christians (2021), Muslims in America: Examining the Facts (2018), and Islam, Race, & Pluralism in the Pakistani Diaspora (2017).

Throughout the years, Dr. Considine’s peer-reviewed articles have appeared in Sociology and Religions and his op-eds have been published in Newsweek and Foreign Policy. Dr. Considine’s opinions appear regularly in the leading news and media outlets around the world. He also has experience in filmmaking, having directed the critically acclaimed documentary film Journey into America. Dr. Considine has spoken to audiences for Oxford University, the University of Edinburgh, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, and Hamad Bin Khalifa University (Doha). He is a practicing Roman Catholic with ancestral roots mainly in Sant’Elia Fiumerapido and Monacilioni, Italy and Lisdoonvarna, Ireland, but also England and Scotland. Craig is a native of Needham, Massachusetts. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, an MSc Lond. in international relations from Royal Holloway, the University of London, and a BA in international relations from American University in Washington, DC.
Event Video

Scriptural Reasoning: “Dreams”
2021-12-13 18:30 - 19:45 UTC | Zoom
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) is a practice where Christians, Jews, and Muslims study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet once a month to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures, as well as the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning – Introduction Reading Material: Dreams

This Month’s Study Leader

Rev. Ebony Grisom (she/her) is the Interim Director of Protestant Christian Ministry and serves as chaplain to Protestant Students across Georgetown University.
She seeks to deepen ecumenical and interreligious understanding and collaboration, and accompanies students of all religious and non-religious identities in our community.
Rev. Grisom earned degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Providence College, and Duke Divinity School. She brings a wealth of experience to the Hilltop having worked in high school to graduate school admissions offices, pastoral leadership, and faith-based advocacy.
Since her arrival at Georgetown University in 2019, Rev. Grisom has served the Main and Law Center campuses and co-chairs the MLK Initiative: Let Freedom Ring! Although “Rev. G” (as she’s known on campus) has her feet planted in the DMV, she remains a proud New York City native who keeps a MetroCard at the ready in case there’s a need to traverse the City that never sleeps. You can find her in her Main Campus or Law Center office talking with students and colleagues about all things sacred and secular including traveling, crafting, advocacy, faith formation, race, gender, theology (and their intercessions), history, Blue Devils, music, sports, and her favorite Hoya of all time, Patrick Ewing.
We would like to thank Rose Castle Foundation for their permission to use their content.

Scriptural Reasoning: "Education and Learning"
2022-01-13 18:30 - 19:45 UTC | Zoom
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) is a practice where Christians, Jews, and Muslims study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet once a month to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures, as well as the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning – Introduction Reading Material: Education and Learning

This Month’s Study Leader

Dr. Vanessa Avery is the Executive Director of Sharing Sacred Spaces, Inc., where she builds community across differences using the unique tools of architecture, space, hospitality, and dialogue.
As Director of Sharing Sacred Spaces, Vanessa is also a Fellow at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace where she develops intercultural and interreligious DEI strategies and training for workplaces that are committed to leadership in religious and spiritual inclusion.
Vanessa is a lecturer of Interfaith Engagement at Yale Divinity School and affiliate faculty in Comparative Religion and Sociology at California State University.

We would like to thank Rose Castle Foundation for their permission to use their content.

Community Event: "Multi-faith Supplication"
2022-01-26 18:30 - 19:30 UTC | Youtube
At a time of dramatic challenges such as the surge in pandemic cases, the multi-faith prayer is intended to be a moment of supplication for Divine blessing. Our goal is also to make the healing words of different faiths known to others as we ask our Creator to deliver us from difficulties.
It will be a pleasure to have you among us along with faith leaders from various traditions who will offer healing or prayer from their own tradition. The event will be broadcast live on YouTube and will also be posted on Rumi Forum’s YouTube channel for those who want to watch and share it later.
Event Video

Faith Leaders:

Rev. Kevin Gillespie, S.J. is the Pastor of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C. Before coming to Holy Trinity, Fr. Gillespie served as president of Saint Joseph’s University, Associate Provost at the Loyola University of Chicago, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Pastoral Care and Counseling at the Loyola University of Maryland. Fr. Gillespie is a psychologist of religion who has published in the areas of psychology and Catholicism; counseling and spirituality; post-traumatic growth and transcendence. He has presented programs in the US and on five continents.

Rabbi Chana Leslie Glazer is the Rabbi of Congregation Adat Reyim and a pluralistic Jewish spiritual leader and educator of all ages. She came to Adat Reyim in July 2020 from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, where she served as the campus rabbi, Hillel advisor, and director of Jewish Life. Rabbi Glazer is deeply committed to Jewish pluralism and inclusion, having worked, lived, or studied with many denominations of Judaism – including the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, where she received her ordination, earning multiple honors and awards.

The Rev. Canon Leonard L. Hamlin, Sr. began his tenure at the Washington National Cathedral in April 2018. In his role as Canon Missioner, Dr. Hamlin oversees the Cathedral’s outreach and social justice initiatives, including gun violence prevention and racial justice and reconciliation. In particular, Dr. Hamlin assists in the building of partnerships and the equipping of the Cathedral community and the congregation to serve as the hands and feet of Christ in the world. Prior to his arrival at the Cathedral, Dr. Hamlin served as the Pastor of Macedonia Baptist Church in Arlington, Va. for 22 years.

Imam Faizul Khan is the founding member of the Islamic Society of Washington Area (ISWA), a diverse, growing, and religious community that started in 1973 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Imam Khan has been involved in social, religious, cultural, educational, and outreach programs in the community for over forty-five years. He is the Imam of ISWA, past Board Member of the Shura Council of Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), General Secretary of the Council of Muslim Organizations, (CMO) in the Washington Metropolitan Area, and serves as Director of three other regional Islamic organizations, including recently appointed as President of the Montgomery County Faith Advisory Council.

Rabbi Gilah Langner came to Kol Ami as the Spiritual Leader in 2016 after working in a variety of settings since her ordination as a rabbi in 2003. She is passionate about Jewish texts and learning, about bringing Jewish values to bear on social issues, and about empowering folks to find their spiritual core in Judaism. Rabbi Gilah served the congregation Shirat Hanefesh in Chevy Chase, MD, was principal of Shoreshim Hebrew School and the Kehila Chadasha Hebrew School, led Jewish meditation sessions at the Jewish Mindfulness Center of Washington at Adas Israel, spent eight years as a visiting chaplain both at Georgetown University Hospital and at senior residences, taught as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University and at the Catholic University of America, and co-directed the Washington Jewish Healing Network.

Nisa Muhammad is the Assistant Dean for Religious Life at Howard University. She is responsible for religious programming that serves the various needs of the campus, advocates for the religious needs of a diverse student population, teach non-academic personal enrichment classes on the Islamic tradition, and works closely as part of the staff in the Office of the Dean of the Chapel where the guiding principles are Faith, Service, and Justice. Her other responsibilities include organizing the Muslim worship and devotion services, counseling and advising students, faculty, staff, and responding to a myriad of questions and challenges from race to religion to relationships. Her work organizing the summer Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School program is highly accomplished and reaches national acclaim.

Matthew Regan is an elected officer for an umbrella organization of DC-area Buddhist temples. Founded in 1987, the International Buddhist Committee (IBC) of Washington, DC promotes inter-Buddhist and interfaith understanding through the annual International Vesak (Buddha’s birthday) celebration and other special events. He facilitates meetings, prepares meeting agendas, and complies with the minutes. Represents the IBC at interfaith and communities events.

Dr. Siva Subramanian is the chief of the Department of Neonatology, senior ethicist, and professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology at Georgetown University Hospital. He became the first Hindu-American to be honored with the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington’s ‘Interfaith Leadership Award’ at its 40th anniversary interfaith conference at the Washington Hebrew Congregation in 2019. He has also co-founded Sri Siva Vishnu Temple (1976), the Council of Hindu Temples of Northern America (1984), and the Hindu American Community Service Incorporation (2009).

Panel Discussion:"How Do We Deal With Covid, Social Injustice, and Polarization?"
2022-02-03 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Zoom
Rumi Forum, Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights, and Prince George’s County Memorial Library System presented a virtual panel discussion on “How Do We Deal With Covid, Social Injustice, and Polarization?” on February 3, 2022, for a conversation for our time, in recognition of World Interfaith Harmony Week.
Event Video

How do we build and use interfaith harmony to develop restoration, reconciliation, and resiliency as applicable to the world that we live in now? We are plagued: by the Covid-19 pandemic, by social injustice, by economic inequities, limited and inequitable access to resources, environmental injustice, and the polarization of our times. Three faith leaders will consider these difficult questions and provide hope and practical solutions to taking steps towards restoration, reconciliation, and resiliency today. Join Rumi Forum, Prince George’s County Office of Human Rights, and Prince George’s County Memorial Library System on February 3rd at 7 pm for a conversation for our time, in recognition of World Interfaith Harmony Week.
Panelists:
Rahmah A. Abdulaleem is the Executive Director of KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights where she works to create a global network of advocates knowledgeable about the gender-equitable principles of Islam and are able to advance the cause of Muslim women’s rights in legal and social environments. Ms. Abdulaleem was raised in Philadelphia and was an active member of Masjidullah in Philadelphia during her youth. She graduated from Duke University with a double major in Religion and Sociology and a certificate in Markets & Management Studies. Ms. Abdulaleem obtained her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and worked at a top international corporate law firm for 14 years.

Rabbi Abbi Sharofsky is the JCRC’s Director of Intergroup Relations/JCRC Rabbi in Residence. She studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary and was ordained in 2012. Abbi also holds a master’s degree from the Davidson School of Jewish Education at the Jewish Theological Seminary, specializing in experiential Jewish education. Abbi was the deputy director of the Jewish Welfare Board Jewish Chaplains Council, where she worked with Jewish military personnel and veterans. Rabbi Sharofsky is the recipient of the 2016 JPRO Network Young Professional Award for her dedication to the Jewish community through her work in the Jewish not-for-profit field. She is a Rabbis Without Borders fellow, 2018 cohort.

Charles A. Tapp was elected President of the Potomac Conference Corporation in March of 2021. Prior to taking this post, Tapp served as senior pastor of the Sligo Seventh-day Adventist church.
For nearly 40 years and in many scenarios, Tapp has served as a pastor, professor, administrator, writer, and radio/television host sharing God’s love and saving grace with the world. His ministry is fueled by the message found in Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty.” Prayer is at the center of his life and the way he leads the ministry of Sligo Church.

Rumi Forum presents this event as a collaborating partner of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW) during the 3rd Annual World Interfaith Harmony Week in the DMV. We are glad that this panel discussion coincides with the annual worldwide observance during the month of February 2022.

Panel Discussion: "Modern Muslim and Jewish Thinkers Who Have Inspired Us"
2022-02-09 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Zoom
On February 9, 2022, at 7:00 p.m., the Jewish Islamic Dialogue Society (JIDS) and Rumi Forum brought in four scholars to talk about Muslim and Jewish thinkers who left their mark on the modern world. We heard presentations about two modern Jewish thinkers: Rami Shapiro, who has brought a passion for various eastern faiths into his study of Judaism, and Menachem Mendel Schneerson (aka the Lubavitcher Rebbe), whose ideas sparked the rapidly growing Chabad Movement within Judaism. We will also hear presentations about two modern Muslim thinkers: Said Nursi, whose commentary of the Qur’an inspired a renewed way of engaging with the modern age; and Muhammad Iqbal, who had a remarkable impact on the intellectual and cultural reconstruction of Islam in South Asia and beyond.
As a collaborating partner of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW), the event took place during the 3rd Annual World Interfaith Harmony Week in the DMV. Dan Spiro, who’s the president of JIDS, moderated the dialogue between these scholars to lead to an enriching conversation between the participants.
Event Video

Dr. Marcia Hermansen talked about Muhammad Iqbal, who was known as the “intellectual father of Pakistan” due to his contribution to the reconstruction of Islam in South Asia. Iqbal was deeply intrigued by contemporary Western thought and reached his audience through poetry in Urdu and Persian while also delivering critical analyses in English. Herb Levy discussed Rabbi Rami Shapiro, who had a multilingual approach to Judaism and taught a Judaism that was free from chosenness, xenophobia, and ethnonationalism. He saw religions as languages, asserting that no language is true or false, and believed writing is nature’s way of showing us how sloppy our thinking is. Like Iqbal, he also used poetry to speak to his audience. Dr. Zeki Saritoprak brought up Said Nursi, whose writings were inspirations for modern sciences and technologies. Nursi emphasized the importance of knowledge and dialogue, preached non-violence, and portrayed the prominence of shared values. Rabbi Lee Weissman talked about the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who was often referred to as the “leader of the generation.” His view was inclusive of the entirety of Jewish people, and he took mystical philosophy and turned it into an activist movement.
All of these thinkers brought changes and inspirations to many people, emphasizing the importance of knowledge, writing, and shared understanding. They depicted the beauty of faith within oneself and how it flourishes within a community.

These presentations were given, respectively, by four scholars: Herb Levy, Rabbi Lee Weissman, Dr. Zeki Saritoprak, and Dr. Marcia Hermansen.
Rumi Forum and JIDS present this event as a collaborating partner of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW) during the 3rd Annual World Interfaith Harmony Week in the DMV. We are glad that this panel discussion coincides with the annual worldwide observance during the month of February 2022.

Panelists:
Herb Levy was raised in an Orthodox home in Baltimore, completing the high school department of the (then) Baltimore Hebrew College, in addition to public high school. Through his college years, he became disconnected from the Judaism that he was raised on but began to reconstruct Judaism to address the social change commitment he made in his life. He spent over 40 years working in affordable housing as his contribution to Tikkun Olam. He’s been active in Kol Ami Reconstructionist of Arlington VA since its birth in December 2000.

Rabbi Lee Weissman has been a Jewish educator in California for over 25 years. For over 10 years, Lee has been an interfaith activist both online and in person. His Facebook forum “Abraham’s Tent” offers a place for Muslims and Jews to communicate on religious issues. His Twitter account @JihadiJew has a wide interfaith following. Lee’s personal passion is Chassidic philosophy, particularly the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. Lee currently attends Magen David Sephardic Congregation.

Dr. Zeki Saritoprak is the Bediuzzaman Said Nursi Chair in Islamic Studies and a Professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. He holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Theology from the University of Marmara in Turkey. His dissertation which examines the personification of evil in the Islamic tradition was published in 1992. Professor Saritoprak is the author of over thirty academic articles and encyclopedia entries on topics in Islam. His most recent books are “Islam’s Jesus” (University Press of Florida, 2014) and “Islamic Spirituality: Theology and Practice for the Modern World” (Bloomsbury, 2017).

Dr. Marcia Hermansen is Director of the Islamic World Studies Program and Professor in the Theology Department at Loyola University Chicago where she teaches courses in Islamic Studies and the academic study of religion. She received her Ph.D. in Arabic and Islamic Studies from the University of Chicago and her numerous authored and co-edited books include Religious Diversity at School: Educating for New Pluralistic Contexts (2021), Varieties of American Sufism (2020), Islam, Religions, and Pluralism in Europe (2016), Islam and Citizenship Education (2015), and Muslima Theology: The Voices of Muslim Women Theologians (2013), as well as translations of works of Shah Wali Allah of Delhi.

Scriptural Reasoning: "Encountering God-1"
2022-02-17 18:30 - 19:45 UTC | Zoom
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) is a practice where Christians, Jews, and Muslims study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet once a month to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures, as well as the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning – Introduction Reading Material: Encountering God – 1

This Month’s Study Leader
Dr. Robert D. Miller II, a Secular Franciscan, joined the faculty of the Catholic University of America in 2008 and is now Ordinary Professor of Old Testament. He is Affiliated Faculty at the University of Pretoria and a Life Member of St John’s College, Cambridge.
Professor Miller is a scholar of the history, literature, religion, and archaeology of Ancient Israel in the First Temple Period. His books, Chieftains of the Highland Clans: A History of Israel in the 12th and 11th Centuries BC (2005), Oral Tradition in Ancient Israel (2011), and related articles made him a recognized authority on Early Israel.
Professor Miller has also worked in the interface of science and theology as the recipient of two major grants, Religion and Science in Pastoral Ministry and Science for Seminarians.
He is also active in Jewish-Christian and Muslim-Christian dialogue at the local and international levels. A practicing archaeologist, Professor Miller is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the American Schools of Oriental Research and serves as Chair of the Board of Control of the New American Bible for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Rumi Forum presents this event as a collaborating partner of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW) during the 3rd Annual World Interfaith Harmony Week in the DMV.
We are glad that this session of our monthly Scriptural Reasoning program coincides with the annual worldwide observance during the month of February 2022.

We would like to thank Rose Castle Foundation for their permission to use their content.

3rd Interfaith Leadership Forum:Building Interfaith Partnerships Beyond Racism and Religious Nationalism
2022-02-24 18:45 - 21:20 UTC | Youtube
Rumi Forum, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington, and Washington Theological Consortium presented the 3rd Interfaith Leadership Forum: “Building Interfaith Partnerships Beyond Racism and Religious Nationalism” on February 24, 2022.
Event Video

About the Event:
Religious nationalism is on the rise worldwide. In the U.S., it has primarily taken the form of White Christian Nationalism: the affiliation of being White and Christian with belonging and mattering in this country. This program explored the nature of global nationalism and its specific manifestation in the U.S. First, we heard from Dr. Mark Juergensmeyer, who is an expert who has been studying this trend for over thirty years. His keynote remarks were followed by a panel of diverse faith leaders who shared their views on building interfaith solidarity to resist the White Supremacist Christian ideology threatening our nation. This program was a forum for people of faith to learn, become activated, and feel equipped to respond together effectively.

Program Outline:
Opening Remarks
Rev. David Lindsey, Executive Director, Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFC)

Keynote
“The Capitol Insurrection and the Global Rise of Religious Nationalism”
Dr. Mark Juergensmeyer, Founding Director of the Orfalea Center of Global and International Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara

Panel Presentations
Moderated by Rev. David Lindsey, IFC
“The Interfaith Imperative”
Rabbi Jack Moline – President, Interfaith Alliance
“Doctrine of Discovery, Manifest Destiny and Christian Nationalism: Nothing New.”
Charles Watson Jr. – Director of Education, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
“The Pro-Democracy Faith Movement”
Maggie Siddiqi – Senior Director, Religion and Faith, Center for American Progress
“Religious Liberty and the Shortfall of Advocacy”
Simran Singh – Vice Chairman, IRF (International Religious Freedom) Secretariat

Rumi Forum presents this event as a collaborating partner of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFCMW) during the 3rd Annual World Interfaith Harmony Week in the DMV. We are glad that this session of our monthly Scriptural Reasoning program coincides with the annual worldwide observance during the month of February 2022.
The Forum would like to thank you to our sponsor DC Mayor’s Office of Religious Affairs.

In-Person Book Talk: "I Never Thought of It That Way"
2022-03-14 18:00 - 19:30 UTC | Church of the Holy City, 1611 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20009, United States
We think we have the answers, but we need to be asking a lot more questions.
Partisanship is up, trust is down, and our social media feeds make us sure we’re right and everyone else is ignorant (or worse). But avoiding and attacking one another is breaking… everything.
Journalist Mónica Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of Mexican immigrants who voted—twice—for Donald Trump. When the country could no longer see straight across the political divide, Mónica set out to find what was blinding us and discovered the most eye-opening tool we’re not using: our own curiosity.
In this timely, personal guide, Mónica Guzmán, takes you to the real front lines of a crisis that threatens to grind America to a halt—broken conversations among confounded people. She shows you how to overcome the fear and certainty that surround us to finally do what only seems impossible: understand and even learn from people in your life whose whole worldview is different from or even opposed to yours.
Event Video

About the book: “I Never Thought of It That Way“
Drawing from cross-partisan conversations she’s had, organized, or witnessed everywhere from the echo chambers on social media to the wheat fields in Oregon to raw, unfiltered fights with her own family on election night, Mónica shows how you can put your natural sense of wonder to work for you immediately, finding the answers you need by talking with people—rather than about them—and asking the questions you want, curiously.
In these pages, you’ll learn:
• How to ask what you really want to know (even if you’re afraid to)
• How to grow smarter from even the tensest interactions, online or off
• How to cross boundaries and find common ground—with anyone
Whether you’re left, right, center, or not a fan of labels: If you’re ready to fight back against the confusion, heartbreak, and madness of our dangerously divided times—in your own life, at least—Mónica’s got the tools and fresh, surprising insights to prove that seeing where people are coming from isn’t just possible. It’s easier than you think.
Event Photos

Author

Mónica Guzmán is the Director of Digital and Storytelling at Braver Angels, a nonprofit working to depolarize America and host of the Crosscut interview series Northwest Newsmakers. She was a 2019 fellow at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation, where she studied social and political division, and a 2016 fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, where she studied how journalists can better meet the needs of a participatory public.
Mónica lives for great conversations sparked by curious questions. Before committing to the project of helping people understand each other across the political divide, Mónica cofounded the award-winning Seattle newsletter The Evergrey and led a national network of groundbreaking local newsletters as VP of Local for WhereBy.Us. She was named one of the 50 most influential women in Seattle, served twice as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes, and plays a barbarian named Shadrack in her besties’ Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Discussant

Brian Allain founded and leads Writing for Your Life, a resource center and conference for spiritual writers, which includes the Publishing in Color conference series, intended to increase the number of books published by spiritual writers of color. Brian also founded and leads the teams that produce Compassionate Christianity and How to Heal Our Divides. Previously Brian served as Founding Director of the Frederick Buechner Center where he led the launch of Mr. Buechner’s online presence and established several new programs and strategic partnerships.
Brian has developed and led spiritual writers conferences at Princeton Theological Seminary, Drew Theological Seminary, Western Theological Seminary, the University of Southern California, Belmont University, New Brunswick Seminary, and several churches. He led the publishing effort for the book Buechner 101: An Introduction to Frederick Buechner, in collaboration with Anne Lamott, and also the book How to Heal Our Divides. All of this is a second career, coming after business and technology leadership in high-tech. Brian has an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was designated a Palmer Scholar, their highest academic award.

Scriptural Reasoning: “Encountering God-2”
2022-03-24 18:30 - 19:45 UTC | Zoom
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) is a practice where Christians, Jews, and Muslims study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet once a month to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures, as well as the development of strong bonds across faith communities.

Scriptural Reasoning – Introduction Reading Material: Encountering God – 2

This Month’s Study Leader
Margaret A. Johnson, Ph.D. is a sociologist, author, international speaker, and business owner. She manages the day-to-day operations of Transfirex Translation Services, Inc., a global language translation company. She volunteers as an interfaith activist in several capacities throughout the greater Washington, DC area to develop strong communities and advocate for peace and understanding among all people. She has moderated and given talks on several panels in the DC area on Islam, peace-building, and diversity issues. She co-authored with Ori Z. Soltes, Preventing Violence and Achieving World Peace from Peter Lang Publishing, New York, NY.
For over a decade, Margaret worked as a researcher and academician at the University of Texas at Austin and Oklahoma State University. Her early career focused on change in nonprofit organizations, small business development, women and minority entrepreneurship, and microcredit programs. As part of her consulting work, she managed the W-BizInsight online survey panel to provide bi-annual metrics on the business confidence of women business owners. She wrote and produced reports for Walmart, American Express, Key Bank, and Women in Public Policy.

Ramadan 2022 - An overview of Iftar programs
2022-04-02 05:00 - 2022-05-01 20:00 UTC
Ramadan 2022 was an extraordinary time for Rumi Forum and its community partners. After two years of social distancing, this special period was the moment to reconnect with our friends and allies, sharing the joy of Iftar while engaging in fruitful conversations regarding future endeavors. Ramadan also became the opportunity to carry our monthly Scriptural Reasoning series into an in-person format, which we would like to continue in the future.

We thank all of our community partners, allies, friends, and volunteers for making Ramadan an invaluable opportunity for reinforcing existing friendships and building new ones.

Iftar with Interfaith Leadership Forum (ILF) Partners

Scriptural Reasoning session on “Fasting” and Iftar at Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS)

Iftar with the Church of the Holy City (Washington, DC) Congregation

Iftar with members of the Public Diplomacy Council (PDC)

Iftar with members of Braver Angels-Fairfax County

Iftar with friends from Osher Lifelong Learning Institute – George Mason University (OLLI-GMU)

Iftar w/JAMAAT(Jews & Muslims & Allies Acting Together) & JIDS(Jewish-Islamic Dialog Society)

Iftar with members of the Sikh Foundation of VA

Scriptural Reasoning on “Fasting” & Iftar with the LDS Church Reverse Open House members

Scriptural Reasoning on “Fasting” & Iftar at American University w/Muslim Student Association

Iftar with members of the Interfaith Encounter Association

Iftar with the Holy Trinity Catholic Church (Washington, DC) Congregation

Iftar with Adat Reyim (Springfield, VA) Congregation

Iftar with Peace Catalyst International`s Regional Coordinator

Scriptural Reasoning: “Fasting”
2022-04-07 18:30 - 20:30 UTC | Virginia Theological Seminary-Addison Academic Center, 3630 Bishop Walker Cir., Alexandria, VA, 22304, United States
On April 7, 2022, Rumi Forum held its first-ever in-person Scriptural Reasoning session on “Fasting,” followed by an Iftar with our study leader, Aaron Dunn, from Virginia Theological Seminary.

Scriptural Reasoning (SR) allows Christians, Jews, and Muslims to study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet monthly to read short passages on a topic from their respective scriptures. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s scriptures and the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning: Introduction Islamic Scripture: Quran

Christian Scripture: New Testament Jewish Scripture: Hebrew Bible

Event Photos

Program Outline:
6:30 – 7:30 pm – Scriptural Reasoning session on “Fasting”
7:35 – 8:30 pm – Iftar dinner and conversations at the table

This Month’s Study Leader
Aaron R. Dunn is a postulant for Holy Orders in the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and a first-year Master in Divinity student at Virginia Theological Seminary. Before beginning his seminary training, he served as the Vocal Music Teacher at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Rockville, MD, and before that, as Voice Faculty and Director of an Opera Workshop at Lincoln University. Aaron holds a Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance from Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music and a Master’s of Music from the University of Tennessee. He has worked nationally and internationally as both a vocalist and stage director.

Scriptural Reasoning: "Food"
2022-05-18 18:30 - 19:45 UTC | Zoom
Rumi Forum had its monthly circle on May 18, 2022, to study Abrahamic scriptures on the topic of “Food” with our study leader, Kelly Moltzen, from the Interfaith Public Health Network.
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) allows Christians, Jews, and Muslims to study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet monthly to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures, as well as the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning – Introduction Islamic Scripture: Quran

Christian Scripture: New Testament Jewish Scripture: Hebrew Bible

This Month’s Study Leader
Kelly Moltzen is a co-founder and convener of the Interfaith Public Health Network, which inspires people of faith to be agents of change in transforming communities into ones that promote health and well-being for all. As a steering committee member of the Center for Earth Ethics’ Faith and Food Coalition, she helps bring faith voices to the United Nations Food Systems Summit process. For over 12 years, she has worked on programs that increase access to and consumption of healthy food to address health disparities in the Bronx, New York.
Kelly is a Registered Dietitian and received a Master’s in Public Health from New York University. She was a 2015 Re:Generate Fellow with the Food, Health, and Ecological Well-Being Program of Wake Forest University School of Divinity and was named to Hunter College’s NYC Food Policy Center 40 Under 40 Class of 2020. Kelly is a USA Secular Franciscan Order Ecumenical & Interfaith Committee member, a 2021-2022 Fellow at Abrahamic House in Washington, D.C., and a Rockefeller-Acumen Food Systems Fellow.

Scriptural Reasoning: "Gates and Doors - 1"
2022-06-16 18:30 - 19:45 UTC | Zoom
Rumi Forum had its monthly circle on June 16, 2023, to study Abrahamic scriptures on the topic of “Gates and Doors – 1” with our study leader, Rabbi Ilana Zietman, from the GatherDC.
Scriptural Reasoning (SR) allows Christians, Jews, and Muslims to study each other’s sacred texts. SR participants meet monthly to read short passages from their respective scriptures on a certain topic. Facilitated by a study leader, each session is an opportunity to listen and share various perspectives. SR sessions help participants reflect on a curious list of topics within the Abrahamic tradition. The result is often a deeper understanding of others and one’s own scriptures, as well as the development of strong bonds across faith communities.
Scriptural Reasoning: Introduction Jewish Scripture: Hebrew Bible

Christian Scripture: New Testament Islamic Scripture: Quran

This Month’s Study Leader
Rabbi Ilana Zietman is a pluralistic rabbi who fosters Jewish experiences and communities that are relevant, thought-provoking, and, most importantly, welcoming. She serves as the Community Rabbi of GatherDC, a nonprofit that connects Jewish 20s & 30s to each other, engages them in Jewish DC, and facilitates their development of meaningful adult Jewish identities wherever they go in life.
She also serves on the advisory council of Avodah: The Jewish Service Corps in DC. In 2019, Ilana received her rabbinic ordination and a master’s degree in Jewish Education from Hebrew College. She now lives in Petworth with her husband, Jack, their new baby, Jesse, and their sweet dog, Ella.
